Champion Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls - how to unlock this hidden character

Champion is the only character not unlocked by default in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. You have to earn him by finishing a full Episode, and believe me, the final stretch stings. Expect around 90 minutes if you go straight for it.

The Episode to finish: Fighting Avengers

Head to the Episodes menu and select the "Fighting Avengers" image on the left. That's the only path to Champion, no shortcuts possible. The story follows Captain America putting together a team with Iron Man, Black Panther and Hulk to take part in the tournament organized by... Champion himself, all to save the planet.

Eleven chapters to get through. Each one contains a story-related fight, and the difficulty ramps up steadily until the final crunch.

The regular fights: nothing too tricky

Most of the fights are your standard best-of-two-rounds affair. You'll run into:

• Solo duels against each member of the Fighting Avengers team (except Cap, he just watches)
• The four other teams taking part in the tournament

Nothing complex here. First to two rounds won, done.

The fight against Promoter: a mini-game of its own

This stage breaks the rhythm of the regular fights and requires a bit of method. Attack Promoter to fill your Skill gauge until she takes cover behind an invulnerable shield.

When that happens, don't just stand there: hit the projectile she throws to keep charging the gauge. Repeat the cycle - attack, shield, projectile - until she invites you into a spotlight. Once inside, spam the light attack button to trigger a Tokon Assemble. The fight ends automatically once the maneuver is executed.

Champion, the real final boss

Three fights in a row against Champion, each one harder than the last. It's literally the final exam before you get to play the character.

In the first round he plays defensively until he's lost about 60% of his health. Past that threshold, he completely changes behavior and turns aggressive. Watch out: even without backup, this guy deals absurd damage. One badly handled combo and your health bar melts away.

The following two fights each require two rounds won:

• His Primordial form
• His Awakened form, even more brutal

In these last two phases, Champion pulls out all the stops: full combos, Counters, Crossovers, projectiles, two Supers, and even after-images of himself that act as teammates during his Assemble attacks. Safe to say he's clearly no longer playing in the same league as the rest of the Episode. Beat both of his forms and the chapter ends - Champion is finally playable everywhere, except in Episodes.

Champion in battle: what to expect

This character deliberately breaks the game's norm. No Assemble, no teammates to call in: Champion plays solo and punishes you even if you try to rely on that mechanic. His specialty revolves around grabs and poses, which fill his Pride gauge. Once it's full, it unlocks access to his Awakened form after landing a Super.

Rated two stars, he's one of the most technical characters in the roster. But if you're looking for a big brawler who hits hard without asking you to manage three bars and two teammates at the same time, Champion ticks every box.